Running Mulitple PC monitors around the house

[Jack]

I will soon purchase a Plasma TV. It will can also act as a computer screen. I am thinking of taking an old PC CPU and basically loading it with Power Point and continually run a PP show on the Plasma, and to

2 other Flat Screen displays, one in the kitchen, one in the study. (burn in not an issue, since it will be constantly changings, screen life is something I still need to research)

Questions: Can you easily split a Computer Screen Signal 3 ways. Can you send that signal a distance (25 feet) What wire would you use, I do not think I want Coax or RCA Jack, unless there is a cheap converter from Computer Monitor signal (RGB I think) to RF for Coax or to RCA Jack.

I have my first floor currently torn out back to the studs, so now is the time to put the wire in.

Ideas

(I plan to run family photos on the screens, maybe some motivational messages, or even countdowns to Christmas, start of school, stuff like that. Just for fun around the house)

[Charles]

I don't know about the cable specs but we have 3+ flat screen monitors in the lobby of my office that run the same powerpoint presentation so I believe it can be done. They are all more than 25 feet apart so I don't think distance will be an issue.

As for burn-in, watch out for burn-in that could occur if you use the same powerpoint template/background for your slides. The template used for the powerpoint slides at my office have a red stripe on the left side of all slides. Even though the text and images in the main area of the slide are changing, most if not all of the slides have the red stripe, and the screens show some burn-in from that.

HTH- Charles

Jack wrote:

[Keith Williams]

No, but you can easily buy a three (or four) output graphics card, or install a couple of dual-head capable cards in the PC.

Depends on the resolution. 25' should be possible, at least at lower resolutions.

VGA or DVI.

Psychiatric help? ;-)

See above! ;-)

[nhurst]

A VGA splitter and amplifier isn't cheap. A quick search turned up a

1->4 VGA splitter for around $450. (I did a search for VGA digital amplifier, which is equipment I've seen used to split a VGA c> I will soon purchase a Plasma TV. It will can also act as a computer

[The Reverend Natural Light]

FWIW:

I have a plasma monitor in the living room along with a good audio system. A media PC drives the monitor through a DVI cable (the only way to go - and get a video card that will match the screen's resolution 1:1).

When I'm not watching a movie, I use Winamp for general music. This would burn in the screen in a big hurry (even with a screen saver), so I leave a laptop computer in the kitchen to control the media PC through a VNC remote desktop connection (I've wired ethernet into every room, but wireless would work just as well). The plasma screen stays turned off but I control the PC from the laptop in the kitchen.

Anyways, both screens show the same thing all the time. You could do this wirelessly, or run some Cat5 while the walls are open. This involves having a PC at the location of each monitor, which could be a good or a bad thing. There are some really compact PCs available.

By the way, I've observed so far that burn in on plasma screens seems to be cumulative. Even with a 1 minute delay on the screen saver, I've already managed to leave some lasting marks on mine. An LCD is really more suitable to what you're trying to do.

-rev

Jack wrote:

[Oren]

I don't think plasma builders have caught on yet. Mine has VGA input

15Pin connector and limits my connections. I did hook up component cables and even S-video. The results were not as good a quality as I expected, but its only VGA.

Some computers; older ones may not work at all, something about horizontal and vertical frequency scanning (I'm lost there).

HDMI cables are not intended for a PC to plasma on my set. I can do DVI to VGA from my graphics card and it will support two monitors. Add another card and you can display four monitors (e-GeForce 7900 GT KO =$$$). One card broke me.

Good Luck.

Oren

[Eric in North TX]

Here's a couple of links to interesting products:

Maybe not the total answer but food for thought. There active video hubs that will drive multiple monitors, I installed one for a doctor friend who wanted to be able to show patients screens of tests away from the actual computer, and that was over 10 years ago. technology moves on.

[John]

Maybe not what you are looking for, but I have a Windows media center pc that is wireless to a few xbox's in the house (one 360 and two old xbox's) they all have the media center extender software and I transmit the video wirelessly to the xbox's. So far, it works like a champ. You need a honking central PC but old xbox's aren't that expensive nowadays ($100). Added advantage of mp3 music through the tv's as well. Will also do picture slideshows of pic's on your media pc. I really recommend it.

[Oren]

My DVI from the card adapts to VGA 15 pin, then to plasma 15 pin , if I use it. I adjusted all the resolution and get the same old analog video (?).

The VNC reminded me of what I can do. Actually, I was using a wireless mouse and key board across the room and it just don't get it, unless I could boost that somehow...slow at the distance.

Supposedly, each generation of plasma improves upon the burn in issue. I agree with the LCD, as it won't burn in, at least mine hasn't.

Oren

[Jim McLaughlin]

Ask this on:

24hoursupport.helpdesk

Yes, thats a usenet gtoup, and a very informative one.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I'm glad I'm not one of your kids.

[souperman]

Damn !!!!! I just have to comment and say I think you are extremely whacko... Anyone that wants a computer screen in every room of the house showing Power Point really needs help. I used to think people with a tv in every room were obcessed and deranged, but you have gone way over the limit. SEEK PSYCHIATRIC HELP..... YOU NEED IT !!!!!

[Pete C.]

Yes, but it isn't cheap. Extron makes a very large line of distribution amps, scan converters and related goodies for such uses.

A much more practical route for home use is to distribute as composite video over regular RG6 coax. Many video cards have composite outputs standard, even a lot of motherboards with integrated graphics. AVermedia makes a line of inexpensive AVerkey scan converters if you don't have a PC or video card with composite output.

Radio Shack has a few options for low cost distribution amps for composite video. You can distribute S video for a bit more cost if you want better quality. You only need to distribute VGA or DVI if you need to display fine detail at high resolutions and you'll pay out the wazo to do it.

Composite video can readily go 100' from a distribution amp over regular RG6 coax.

No cheap converters for such. You need to assess whether you need to spend $1,500+ to distribute top quality VGA/DVI or whether $50 to distribute composite or $100 to distribute S would be adequate.

If you need the quality you're probably better off just using separate $100 used PCs at each location. With appropriate networking you can control what is displayed on each. Run Linux or similar and you can treat each as separate Xwindows displays. Indeed with suitable wireless networking the displays could be portable as well.

Now is the time to put conduit in. Run 3/4" PVC conduit, or the blue flex conduit between strategically placed boxes (home run to a media closet is best) and you can pull whatever you need later and readily change it later still as needs and technology change.

Pete C.

[Philip Lewis]

not as cheap as this excellent solution, but a low end computer running some free OS and VNC located at each of the locations could do it as well.

Sounds fun.... it's a fairly expensive proposition... since each unit will be drawing power 24/7.

(I was amazed at how much power my amp drew in an idle (no video/no audio) state. prompted me to start turning it off) I should really start chasing down various phantom loads in the house.

[Pete C.]

Er, I suggested essentially that already.

Yep, you can eat up a lot of power with these little 24x365 loads.

Pete C.

[Philip Lewis]

whoops... somehow missed it in the first browse of the post. my bad.

The Kill-a-watt is fine device. ;)